Angels and Loss
by M. Rouser
Summary: My narratives of season 4 episodes with the inclusion of my character, SSA Allison Greenwald, starting with 4.02 "The Angel Maker." She finds herself helping Hotch at his weakest, and then falling for someone new during the team's time in Colorado.
1. The Angel Maker

**Summary: My narratives of 4.02 and 4.03: "The Angel Maker" and "Minimal Loss" with the inclusion of my character, Allison Greenwald. She finds herself helping Hotch at his weakest, and then falling for someone new during the team's time in Colorado.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters. Only Agent Allison Greenwald is mine.**

* * *

The chains of the machine clanked. The ringing in Agent Hotchner's ears got sharper and more intense, and he couldn't help but clutch the side of the head and lean away from the noise. He moaned in pain and couldn't hear a thing. _Damn it_, he thought to himself. He had hoped it would have been better healed by now.

He looked up to see Allie had followed him. Her hand was gripped tightly on his shoulders and her eyes were filled with concern. "Hotch… Hotch!" she was practically yelling. "Are you okay?" He was unable to respond and only held onto his head tighter, the pain practically unbearable. Until, finally, the crane made its halt and the casket was finally pulled out of the grave. This gave Hotch's ear some relief but he was still in pain and shock. He was finally able to stand up completely, and saw Allie still standing in front him, her face still contorted with worry. With that he began to walk away, further from the casket.

Allie couldn't help but follow. "Hotch," she called softly, catching up to him. She grabbed him by the arm and made him stop. He halted and turned to Allie with a frustrated look on his face. Instinctively, Allie reached up and hugged him, placing her hands around his neck. Hotch reluctantly put his arms back around Allie's waist, accepting her embrace for a moment, but then released.

Once they had let go Hotch gave a small cough of the throat, and looked away with his serious eyes. "That probably wasn't appropriate," he muttered to her quietly.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Allie stammered.

"But," he added, his dark eyes turning back to Allie, and this time looking with compassion, "I appreciate your concern."

* * *

When they had finally caught on to the UnSup and found her next place of action, the team make their way quickly. Soon the house was finally surrounded. Morgan had made his way around back to try and find the victim while Emily kept the Chloe occupied by speaking through the megaphone. Allie was situated on the other side of the cop car and Hotch worried for her safety. "AL!" he yelled harshly over to her. "Get better cover, you're standing right in front of the window."

Allie practically glared back over at him. Internally, she was rolling her eyes and arguing. But she knew better than to question Hotch, especially when in action like that. And so she crept over back behind Sheriff Dobson.

When the Chloe made her way outside and the shot rang out from the Sheriff's gun, Allie noticed as Hotch instantly doubled over in pain, again clutching his ear. Allie didn't waste a moment this time. She grabbed him harshly by the shoulders and led him away from the scene and the rest of the team. They approached the sidewalk. "Sit down," Allie ordered Hotch, and he surprisingly did as she said. She sat down next to him, and the two sat in silence for a minute. "I'm going to go back to the scene," Allie finally said. "You stay here. I mean it, Hotch."

Aaron was surprised by Allie's bossy tone. She walked over to the rest of the team, got the proper information, and returned to where Hotch stayed sitting. "Rossi has it all under control," she said to him. "Everyone else will take care of the crime scene, and I'm going to drive you back to the hotel," she added, holding her hands out to help him up. He looked up at her, still in shock by her commanding attitude. He should have reprimanded her for giving orders to her superior, and for putting the well-being of one agent above the case.

Instead, he accepted her hands, stood up, and followed her to the car. Allie took the driver's seat and took them quickly back to the hotel. Not a word was spoken for the rest of the ride, nor when they got back to the hotel. Each went into their respective rooms. Once Hotch reached his, he said down on the end of the bed and held his head in his hands in frustration. He undid his tie and a few buttons, laid back, but the thoughts wouldn't let him relax. He felt guilty for showing weakness during a case. What was even worse was that Allie had been there trying to help him, and he was pushing her away and fighting the help. That was always his downfall.

Meanwhile, Allie sat in practically the same position in her room. She had taken the time to change into sweats and a t-shirt, but didn't have the energy to even turn on the T.V. Her head was filled with panicked thoughts. _I totally crossed a line,_ she thought to herself. _Once he feels better he's probably going to fire me. I shouldn't have been so harsh… but, he was clearly suffering. _Someone_ has to take care of him. He won't even take care of himself._ A knock at the door took Allie out of her thoughts. She stood and opened it only to find Hotch on the other side.

He looked even more disheveled than before. His hair was messy and his shirt unkempt. "Al…" he trailed off once the door was open. "Can I come in for a second?" he requested.

"Sure," Allie allowed nervously. "Is… everything okay?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Not really," Hotch admitted. "The pain is still there. And mostly… I owe you an apology, and I need to thank you."

"No… sir, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so presumptuous," Allie interjected.

Hotch held up his hand to silence her. "You were right. And I have something to request of you."

"What's that?" she inquired.

"With my ear, it will make it difficult to fly tomorrow. I think I'll be driving myself back to Quantico. If you're willing… I wouldn't mind some company along the way," he said.

"Of course," Allie answered quickly.

"You understand," Hotch said, "I'm not ordering you as your boss, I'm just asking you as a friend."

"And," Allie replied significantly, "I said yes."

Hotch nodded and said tenderly to her, "Thank you, Allie." Then he approached her and took her back into the same kind of embrace that he had earlier told her was inappropriate. But he knew it was about time he started appreciating the people in his life that cared for him.


	2. Minimal Loss

Panic filled the hearts of the members of the BAU team when the realization hit them. "HOTCH!" Morgan yelled across the bullpen. Agent Hotchner set down the phone and immediately stepped out of the office to join the team in watching the news. "Prentiss and Reid," Morgan said simply. Watching the conflict between the police and the religious group on the screen, they all were trying to understand the ramifications of two undercover FBI agents being trapped on the inside of the conflict. Hotch didn't even hesitate for a moment in taking the case as their own. Soon enough JJ, Derek, Allie, Dave, and Hotch were all on a plane bound for Colorado.

* * *

"Dan Torre," the man with the sandy blond hair introduced himself. He was their assistance on the case. His voice contained the slightest of a southern accent, and his brow was wrinkled with worries and stress. Allie could not deny she found him quite attractive. It was just something about the way he carried himself. A wave of guilt crashed over her, for letting her mind get distracted on how attractive she found this man instead of the work she should be doing to make sure her friends were returned to safety. "Allison Greenwald," Allie eventually replied with a smile, "but most people call me Allie." Dan smiled in return. "Will do," he replied. It was a brief moment and then lost in the chaos of the situation.

They listened in as they beat and punished Emily. The looks on Rossi and Hotch's faces were too much for Allie to bear, and she wasn't even listening in. She felt sick to her stomach, and found herself clutching the back of the chair she was standing behind. When Dan walked up next to her she hardly noticed his presence until he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked. She looked over at him and nodded mutely. He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and returned back to his work.

Finally, there was a breakthrough action thanks to Reid. The trust between Rossi and Cyrus needed to be built. And so a young girl was sent out in exchange for the knowledge of Emily's identity.

She got armed up and headed out along with Dan and Morgan. Morgan approached the young girl as she wandered out into the street. Once he pulled her up into his arm Allie breathed a sigh of relief, which was heard by Dan in the front seat. They made eye contact in the rear view mirror, the nature of which was unclear, but it felt significant to Allie.

* * *

Later that day a larger group was released. Hotch and Dave kept the earphones on, listening in to the situation and taking what they could of signs from Reid and Prentiss.

Then the plan was made to go in at 3 a.m. The proper signs were being relayed to Prentiss and Reid. As the time drew near, the tension grew. Humvee's made their way closer to the compound when a series of shots were heard. Allie found herself geared up and set in place along the exterior of the compound with the rest of the team. She had wanted to enter along with Rossi and Morgan, but Hotch insisted she stay behind. After waiting a long while, Allie decided to approach the compound to get a better shot. She heard footsteps behind her and saw Dan Torre trailing her. "Hey!" he whispered. "Slow it down, maintain some distance. It's not safe!" Allie was getting sick of the men trying to 'protect' her and tell her what was safe and what wasn't. She turned to continue approaching when the whole thing exploded.

The blast threw Allie a few feet up in the air. She landed harshly on her arm but didn't think anything was too badly hurt. When she looked over and groaned she saw Dan beside her. He rolled over and when he saw her as well, he got up as quick as he could and crawled over to her. "Allie," he gasped. "Are you hurt?"

In response, Allie gave out a harsh cough. "I don't think so," she said hoarsely. Dan placed his arms gently around her waist to pull her up off the ground slightly. After a little effort the two were both sitting on the dusty ground, coughing and breathing heavily. Allie's eyes focused on the location of the blast and the people spilling out everywhere. "I hope everyone's okay…" she said worriedly, but glad to feel that Dan's arm was still settled on the small of her back.

Dan used his effort then to stand. He held his hands down to Allie to help her up, and she accepted. Once she was standing he once again wrapped his arm around her waist, and guided her slowly toward the rest of the team. "Watch your step," he warned cautiously, as rocks and debris stood in their way. Allie was relieved when she saw Prentiss and Reid in one piece. When the two came near the rest of the team, Hotch sent a significant look their way over his shoulder, noticing the pair's closeness, and then wordlessly looked away.

* * *

Early the next morning the team was up preparing the head out to the jet. As everyone was throwing bags into the back of the cars, Allie saw Dan approach, looking tired but still as attractive as she had found him earlier. He sandy hair was flopped to one side and his face had a slight smirk, calling attention to his dimples. Having just gotten her things packed, Allie walked up to him and the two got their distance from the rest of the team.

They stood face to face, Dan's smirk still present. "'Mornin," he said softly, taking her hands in his.

"Hi," Allie replied, giving his hands a slight squeeze. "Well, we've got to take off soon," she said.

Dan nodded somberly. "Yeah," he replied. "Well, if you're ever in Colorado again, don't be too shy to look me up, lady," he said.

"And, if you're ever in D.C.," Allie added.

"Of course," Dan agreed. "I might even, I was thinking, make a special trip out there… sometime soon," he hinted.

Allie couldn't help but give out a small laugh. "I would like that very much," she said. With that she leaned in to give him a hug. It was comfortable and warm in his arms. For just having woken up, he sure smelled good, too. Her heart beat picked up a little, feeling those little butterflies. When they released slightly, Dan took the opportunity and leaned in to place his lips firmly on hers. They held there a long moment, both wishing Allie's departure wasn't so soon.

Once they released Allie heard Morgan's voice calling over, "Hey, kissy girl, it's time for us to get going." Allie looked over for a slight second and nodded, seeing pretty much the entire team staring at them. Most of them were smiling, Hotch not so much, but that wasn't really unusual.

"Here," Dan said, sneakily grabbing Allie's cell phone from her pocket. "Before you go," he added, starting to type numbers into her phone, "I have to make sure you have a way to contact me," he finished, quickly finishing. "Here," he said, handing his phone to her. "Why don't you let me know when you're back in that fancy east coast home of yours, and then I'll have your number too."

Allie smiled, and took her phone back from him. "Sounds good," she said. Their hands intertwined for one last moment, and Allie gave one last squeeze before releasing. She tilted her head in the direction of the team, and said a quiet, "Goodbye."

"Bye," Dan responded. "For now," he winked.

Allie laughed. "For now," she repeated. She then had to turn her back and walked over back to where the team was waiting, and began loading into the vans.

* * *

Not even an hour later they were in the air flying back to Quantico. Allie had sat down alone by a window, getting lost in her thoughts of the case and of her new acquaintance in Dan. The smallest of smiles formed on her face as she thought of his soothing voice and the way his dark blonde hair fell. She was brought out of her trance when Hotch abruptly placed himself in the seat across from her. For a while not a word was spoken, only silence as Allie continued to look out the window and Hotch didn't make eye contact.

Finally he dared to speak. "So," he said darkly. "Dan Torre?" he questioned.

"Pardon me?" Allie asked.

"Come on, Allie," he said, seeming irritated. "What was that all about?"

"He was nice," she responded, returning her gaze out the window.

"So, what?" He whispered bitterly, "Now you are going to start a relationship with a man you barely know that lives across the country? You and I both know that it won't go anywhere."

Allie looked back over at Hotch harshly. "What's it to you?" she hissed. "The kind of relations I decide to have with Dan from now on has nothing to do with the team, or how I'll perform. You know that. So why are you doing this?"

Hotch seemed stumped for a moment, fuming still, but calmed down before he spoke again. "I'm just looking out for you," he tried to rationalize. "You can do better than him."

Now Allie looked at Hotch with her profiling face on. "You seemed to think highly of him until he and I started to talk. He's a good man. If the only thing that you think would be 'better' for me is you, then say so. But if that's even true I'm sure you would never have the guts to say it."

That point quieted Aaron completely. Defeated and unable to come up with a response, he stood up and went back to his previous seat.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	3. Paradise

**The narrative continues with episode 4.04 "Paradise."**

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* * *

**

The team next found themselves in the outlying areas of Las Vegas, tracking a killer that was disguising his victim's deaths as car accidents. It resulted in a goose chase around the surrounding areas, with everyone going to motel after motel, trying to find the UnSup and the place where the killings were happening.

Hotch was kicking himself when he realized that the he had already interviewed the UnSup, and not caught on. The place was surrounded, broken into, and the couple luckily saved from death. Morgan cuffed him up harshly, and the couple was loaded up into the ambulance, as Hotch walked away from the team. Allie noticed this and saw Rossi follow him. She crept closer to the conversation and overheard as Rossi said, "We all make mistakes, even the best of us. Welcome to the club," he added as he walked away.

As Hotch also turned around, he saw Allie standing there facing him, compassion and concern in her eyes, as usual. He held her gaze for a long time before walking closer to her. "Sir – " she said quietly as he approached.

In response, Hotch just gave her a look warning her to back off. She understood the message easily enough and stopped her sentence as quickly as she had started. Turning to walk away, Allie cursed herself for caring, for trying again. _He doesn't want my help, or anyone else's for that matter_, she reminded herself.

* * *

"Hotch?" Reid asked timidly, once back at the field office. It was late afternoon. "I was wondering if we might be able to stay here until tomorrow morning."

"I suppose," Hotch replied thoughtfully, "that we might be able to find something to do in Las Vegas for one night." Morgan gave a look and grin back at Hotch. Reid simply nodded; glad the team was going to have fun, but knew he needed to spend more time with his mother to get to the bottom of these dreams.

The team gathered up for a moment and Hotch informed them all of the extension of their trip. Everyone seemed pleased, and that included Allie. Allie finally had an excuse to dress in a sleeveless, silky top that made her feel like she looked good for once. A big part of her wished they were just a little closer to Durango, Colorado so she might be able to see Dan, but knew that there wasn't enough time for that. And so the team ended up having an early dinner before hitting the town. Feeling lighthearted from the end of the case, there was an abundance of laughter and joking going on. Allie was placed across the table from Hotch and she caught his glance every now and again. He was of course still dressed in his formal suit, and Allie wondered if he ever took it off.

Once everyone was done drinking and eating and the checks had all been paid, they all still sat relaxing at the table and sharing conversation. Finally, Morgan and Prentiss decided it was time to hit up the casinos. Around the same time Allie's phone gave a buzz and she looked down, happy to see that it was a text message from Dan. Everyone noticed as a slight smile spread across her face and she began messaging back, under the table, telling him about the case and how she was in Vegas. _We're staying an extra night, _she messaged him. _I wish you were here._ A response came _I wish I was there too, lady_, it read. _Don't have too much fun without me._

JJ eventually left for some rest before following Derek and Emily around, and Rossi excused himself to get in on the action as well. That left Hotch and Allie sitting across the table from each other, Allie still a little engrossed in her phone. "The case is over," Hotch said to her, "and you're still stuck on your phone? And I thought I couldn't get away from work," he teased.

Allie shut her phone and looked back up at Hotch. "It was just some messages from… a friend," she finished.

"If it's Dan you can say it's Dan," Hotch replied, trying his best to sound civil.

"It's Dan," she replied simply.

Hotch nodded silently and then stood up. "There's no use in sitting here all night. Let's go for a walk," he suggested to Allie. She gave a small smile, nodded, and the two found themselves walking along Las Vegas Blvd, taking in the city of lights. While walking, casual conversation came up.

"I hope you're not still beating yourself up about the case," Allie warned, noticing that Hotch carried himself in a manner that was still ever so serious and somber.

"I'm not," he replied, and then caught a look from Allie. "Well, I'm trying not to," he admitted.

Allie nodded. "Well, I hope Reid is doing alright. It's too bad he doesn't get to join in on the fun."

Hotch chuckled. "I doubt he would be too interested in the fun anyway. It's good he gets to visit his mother. We could all use a little time like that with the people in our lives."

"Yeah," Allie replied softly. "I bet you miss Jack. I'm sorry."

"Well," Hotch said. "We do the best we can, I suppose." He spent a moment lost in thought and then changed the subject. "So, how is Dan, then?" he asked suddenly.

"Oh. Dan is… just fine," Allie replied shyly.

"I should rephrase," Hotch said, throwing her a significant look. "How is everything between you and Dan?"

Allie shook her head at Hotch's prying manner. It was unusual for him to take such an interest in anyone's personal life. "Steady," she responded. "We talk when we can, and that about sums it up," she added with a tinge of irritation in her voice. It was at that moment when the pair walked past the Monte Carlo. Allie's eyes were stuck on the lights and the people wandering inside. "Well," she said finally. "Are we going to gamble, or what?"

Hotch did let himself smile at that one. "Let's," he responded. The two entered and were immediately offered drinks, and they took full advantage. "What is your pleasure?" Hotch asked Allie playfully, sipping his whiskey sour, loving its taste.

She looked around, deep in thought. "Well, I have terrible luck at slots. I'd like to try blackjack, but to be honest I've never played at a casino before."

"Blackjack it is," Hotch responded boldly, walking confidently in the direction of the nearest table.

"But – " Allie interrupted, following him, "I told you," she hissed in his ear, "I've never played before!"

"Don't worry," he murmured into her ear once they reached the table. "Sit here," he ordered, grabbing her by the shoulders and placing her into a chair. "I'll walk you through it," he promised, standing and leaning over behind her. With that he polished off his drink, gave his glass to the nearest server and grabbed another.

Allie needn't have worried so much. Luck was on her side, and after an hour under Hotch's guidance, she was almost $1000 up. With more and more drinks in their system, Allie and Hotch got increasingly bold, taking more risks. For Hotch that meant more than just on the blackjack table. His inhibitions gone, his hands became friendlier. When deep in thought, he would run his hands through and play with Allie's medium length brown hair, inhaling its scent and enjoying it. When nervous, he would place his hands on her shoulder and squeeze reassuringly. When celebrating, he would kiss her on the top of the head, and sometimes accept an enthusiastic hug from her.

Totally engrossed in the game, Allie didn't notice much else going on around her. She wasn't quite as drunk as Hotch was, but she was loose enough where she didn't seem to mind him leaning in so close to discuss, make decisions, and celebrate.

"And the attractive couple has it again!" the dealer announced, more chips landing in Allie's position. Her face turned red in response to the misunderstanding, but didn't correct. She heard Hotch simply laughing behind her.

One too many drinks in, Hotch leaned in to whisper in Allie's ear. "Let's cash out," he slurred. "Don't risk anymore…"

Allie noticed how drunk he was becoming. He was leaning heavily on Allie for support. She gave a small laugh at how wasted he was. "Okay," she said playfully, patting him on the cheek. And with that they cashed out of the casino, and headed back down the boulevard, Hotch not walking very straight. Allie let his arm rest around her waist, knowing he needed her for support if they were going to make it back to the hotel at all.

"How much did you make?" Hotch asked energetically as they walked back.

"$1250," Allie replied happily.

"Told you I was a good teacher," Hotch said defensively.

Allie laughed. "I know you're a good teacher, Hotch. You're one of the best."

"Good," he said drunkenly. "Well since I'm such a good teacher I'm going to teach you this: stop talking to that Dan guy."

Rolling her eyes, Allie decided not to respond to that statement.

"Okay?" Hotch questioned harshly.

"You're drunk, Hotch – " Allie began.

" – Call me Aaron" he interrupted.

"Okay. Well, Aaron, let's just get you back to the hotel. Then we can talk about Dan tomorrow if you want," she reasoned.

"No!" He said angrily, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, and catching the attention of onlookers. "We'll talk about it now," he commanded.

Allie looked around in embarrassment. "Hey," she said. "Keep walking. You're making a scene."

"I'll make a scene if I want to," Hotch responded with dumb confidence.

Walking closer to him, Allie placed her hands on Hotch's chest. "Aaron," she said quietly, "I promise you, you are going to regret this tomorrow morning. So why don't you just walk back to the hotel with me, please?" she begged.

"Fine," Hotch replied, defeated. "But only for you," he added. "Only for you."

"Thank you," Allie said, wrapping her arms around his waist to guide them back to the hotel.

Once there, Allie had to find Hotch's hotel key for him. Looking in his wallet, she uncovered it and opened the door. Thankfully Hotch had decided to stop talking and arguing, so he wasn't disturbing anyone else and hopefully the rest of the team would remain unaware of how drunk their boss had become. When they entered his room, Hotch sat slumped over on the edge of his bed. Closing the door behind her, Allie went into the bathroom and filled a coffee cup full of water from the sink.

"Here," she said, leaning down to hand it to him and look him in the eye. "Drink this."

Hotch wordlessly accepted the cup but only took small sips. He then set it down and muttered, "Allie…" but didn't finish whatever he had meant to say.

Allie then began to undo his tie. She slid it off, and then began to unbutton his dress shirt as well. In the midst of doing so, Hotch abruptly looked up. "You're not going to take advantage of me, are you?" he suggested drunkenly.

"I'm taking off your shirt so you can sleep more comfortably," Allie responded, sliding that off as well, revealing his plain white undershirt underneath. As she went toward the closet to hang up his shirt and tie, Hotch began to remove his pants as well, revealing only his boxers underneath. Allie's face flushed red at seeing him so undressed. Part of her felt shy, but the other couldn't help but look, noticing his strong build, strong and dark haired arms.

Hotch finally flopped over and laid down completely on the bed. Allie went back over, sitting on the edge next to him, and covered him up with a blanket. "Your water is here," she said quietly, motioning toward where it sat on the nightstand. Sleep well," she added.

She was about to stand when Hotch's hand took a hold of her arm. "Can you stay?" he asked wearily, eyes still shut.

"You'll fall asleep soon enough, Aaron," she replied.

"Just stay until I do then…" he requested.

"Well, alright," Allie agreed, giving in. She turned the light off but continued to sit next to him.

Hotch muttered one last statement, "You're beautiful…" in a hazy voice, and then his breathing became deep and he was finally passed out asleep.

* * *

**I realized after writing this that there are some discrepancies in the episode. It was actually in 4.06 that Reid asked to stay behind in Vegas to spend time with his mother. So, consider this chapter a combination of "Paradise," and "The Instincts."**


	4. Memoriam

**Memoriam, episode 4.07**

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* * *

**

The office was fairly quiet with Reid, Morgan, and Rossi gone. They were gone on a unique case, one that involved Reid's past and a lot of emotions behind it. Allie sat behind her desk behind paperwork hoping they were having some success, wishing she was still out west instead of weeding through files. She glanced quickly up at Hotch's office; saw him sitting behind his desk, also behind a mound of work. Since the night in Vegas, they had hardly spoken, and when they did it was only work related.

Allie knew he must have been embarrassed by how drunk he was that night, but didn't know how much of the night he even remembered. She had set her winnings from the night aside for the first break she could get from work to head to Colorado, but for some reason she had not mentioned this, or anything about that night, to Dan. An email had popped up on her computer, and had a picture of Dan with his horse attached. He looked handsome, and his smile made Allie wish she was anywhere but Quantico. Except she glanced back at Hotch's office, wondering what could possibly be going through his mind. The man was a constant mystery. Looking back at the stack of papers waiting for her, Allie heaved a sigh and dived in.

From his office, Agent Hotchner was also stealing glances into the bullpen. He knew had been avoiding talking to Allie. What he remembered of the night in Vegas was that he had acted like a fool. For the first time in a long time, he had let his emotions and well, _desires_, take control of his actions. In response, Allie hadn't mentioned anything either, and for that he was grateful. And yet, at the same time, he felt frustrated. He was so motivated to stop what was going on between Allie and Dan Torre, but it was the nature of his motivation that confused him. He felt protective, possessive even, of Allie. He knew Dan was a good man, but he hated seeing Allie throw away her time on a long-distance relationship. Those only cause pain and longing. _Much like the longing you feel,_ his subconscious reminded him.

Hotch did his best to shake off that thought. Yes, he often enjoyed Agent Greenwald's company. They had fun together. And maybe he was a little protective. _But_, he rationalized to himself, _it's no different than any relationship between any of our team members. Right?_ His subconscious responded. _Wrong. You want her to be yours. You're jealous she's found someone else, and you have no control over it_. Hotch stood up, angry at himself, and began to pace the office. He looked out at the bullpen and decided to go out to talk to her, just to break the ice, and do his best to profile himself.

On his way over he heard some commotion and looked over to see Garcia, Agent Todd, and JJ rushing out. "What's going on?" Hotch asked.

"I'm not a doctor – I don't even play one on TV – but I believe that young JJ here is going into labor," Penelope responded back to him.

Allie heard this and looked over with wide eyes and a smile. "Ahhh! I'll give Will a call for you," she told JJ, leaning over to pick up her phone.

JJ looked back with shocked eyes and nodded in thanks as the three of them rushed out of the bullpen, and JJ and Garcia got into the elevator.

Feeling excited for JJ, Allie turned around with a smile on her face and caught Hotch's eye. She gave him a dazzling grin. Affected by her smile, Hotch felt numbed. He nodded curtly and returned back to his office.

* * *

Will, Emily, Garcia, Allie, and Hotch surrounded JJ in the hospital room as she held her beautiful new boy, Henry, in her arms. They were joking about how he resembled Will slightly, and hoped he wouldn't pick up the accent when Reid and Morgan made their appearance, finally returning from Las Vegas.

The rest of the team filed out of the room to go get some coffee and give Reid and JJ some privacy. As they sat down in the waiting room, Allie sat herself next to Will and began conversation.

"Well, congratulations, dad," she said to him.

Will smiled in return. "Thanks, Allie. How've you been doing these days?"

Allie shrugged. "Same as usual. Life with the BAU."

"Well, JJ may have mentioned to me that you've been seeing someone…" He inquired.

Laughing, Allie said, "It's hard to keep anything secret around here. But yes, I met someone, during a case in Colorado. Kind of like how you met JJ, now that I think about it. He's great, he's just… you know, 2000 miles away."

"Been there," Will replied. "It'll work out though. JJ and I did the long-distance thing."

"Yeah well, and then you moved out here," Allie pointed out. "JJ's a lucky girl."

"And I'm a lucky man," he responded.

Allie smiled, feeling jealous of what JJ and Will had together. She hoped that Dan could be the one for her, that with this guy things would finally work out. But she had her doubts. Then Reid emerged from JJ's room and joined everyone in the waiting room.

"I better get back in there," Will said to Allie, standing up.

Allie stood with him and gave him a hug. "Congratulations, again," she said.

"Thanks. And Al," he added. "This guy, it'll work out. Give it some time," he advised.

She nodded. "Thanks," she said as he made his way back to JJ and Henry. After he was gone Allie sat back down and took out her phone. Dialing Dan, he picked up after only a few rings. "Hi," she said. "It's me. I was thinking, that maybe I could fly out to Durango this weekend…"

Hotch sat a few chairs away. Having heard Allie's entire conversation with Will and the phone call she was now making, his emotions built up and he finally realized that his subconscious had been right. His feelings for Allie were more than just friendship, and he had no idea what to do about it.

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**More updates later tonight!**


	5. Brothers in Arms

**This one is a longer chapter. I thought about splitting it up into two parts, but what the heck. It's going to be read either way, so I figured I'd save my lovely readers the extra effort of clicking the mouse one more time! Maybe you could use that extra click to hit the 'review ' link?**

**And now: more season 4 love with 4.09 "52 Pickup" and 4.10 "Brothers in Arms"**

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Hotch was in a particularly sour mood on this day. His dark eyebrows somehow seemed thicker than usual, and the entire team couldn't help but notice as he stormed about the office and barked at whoever dared to bother him with a question or comment.

They were down an agent, with Allie finally taking some leave and using her Las Vegas earnings for a few days in Colorado to see Dan for the first time since they had met on that case. Her absence was felt all around, but most of the team was glad at least one of them was getting some rest and relaxation. JJ was gone taking care of her newborn, leaving Agent Todd to finally take over and fill her shoes. This left the team chemistry slightly off, with two of the regulars gone and someone new to adapt to. Add that to Hotch's mysterious brooding manner; what resulted was a BAU in slight disorder.

Soon enough, the team was tested – a new case. This one brought the team to Atlanta to find an UnSup that had killed and gutted a young woman named Vanessa Holden, as well as two prostitutes in instances beforehand, leaving the team stumped and faced with the challenge of creating two separate profiles.

When Morgan, Todd, and Hotch all went to the home of the victim's family for an account, they knew it was going to be a bit difficult. The family had decided to stop cooperating with police and the investigation. When talking to the mother, Agent Todd decided to take the lead. What resulted from her effort to persuade the mother to let them in was a lie, and lie that Morgan detected right away. Upon leaving the home, Hotch chewed her out, and chewed her out bad. The only times Derek had ever seen Hotch that harsh was when dealing with suspects. Todd walked away from the situation with a dazed look on her face, and Morgan was unable to console her too much. There was no explaining what went on inside their boss's head.

* * *

The team had barely been home 24 hours after the Holden case when they were sent out to Phoenix, to deal with a situation that was, if possible, even worse. Police officers were being murdered left and right, the same MO every time: GSW to the throat. A still frustrated Hotch phoned their absent agent immediately after the case briefing. After a few too many rings for Aaron's comfort, Allie finally picked up. "Hello?" she asked loudly over a crackling phone line.

"Greenwald," he said seriously. "The team is headed to Phoenix. I'm sorry, but we need you to be there," although he didn't sound apologetic at all.

"Oh. Um, okay, sir." Allie stammered. "What's going on?"

"You'll be briefed when you arrive. Get here as soon as you can," Hotch commanded.

"Yes, sir," Allie replied. Without a goodbye or conclusion, she heard Hotch hang up the phone on the other end. She heaved a heavy sigh, shoving her phone in her back pant pocket. She looked up the hiking path she was following and saw Dan looking back at her.

"What was that all about?" He asked casually.

"I need to go," Allie said dismally, turning to her left to look out at the broad landscape in front of her. They were halfway up a small peak in the San Juan Mountains outside Durango, and the view was something spectacular. "Phoenix," she added, turning to look back up at Dan.

"When?" He questioned.

"Now, apparently," Allie said touchily, turning around to go back down the tail.

* * *

When back at the Torre ranch, Allie was in the bedroom throwing clothes into her suitcase as fast as she could, muttering to herself all the while. Dan entered gently into the room, glass of lemonade in hand. "Something to drink?" He offered.

Allie shot a glance over at him. "In a sec," she responded. "I – I don't think I brought anything besides casual clothing. Nothing appropriate for a case! There's no way I have time to shop, though, and Hotch already sounded like he was ready to behead me – "

" – Darlin'!"Dan exclaimed. "Calm yourself," he said, setting the lemonade down and approaching her behind to rub her shoulders gently. "Just go with what you have and if it's a problem, find something else there. But you were on vacation – a vacation you were approved for, by the way. Everyone should understand."

"You don't know Aaron Hotchner," Allie added bitterly.

"Except I do, remember?" Dan replied, trying to joke, continuing to rub her shoulders reassuringly.

"Yeah," Allie sighed, struggling with her suitcase to zip it up. "Let's go," she said. "I need to get on the soonest flight I can find."

* * *

Hotch and Morgan were standing outside talking with the chief and a detective when Allie's taxi pulled up to the main Phoenix police station. They all looked over as a pair of brown leather boots stepped out of the taxi. It took a few moments for Hotch to take in the sun-kissed, tanned version of Allie, donning brown boots, jeans, and a flannel button up shirt. She flung her bag over her shoulder and approached the group. "Hi," she said breathlessly as she reached them, giving Morgan a slight smile. She then shot Hotch an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for my attire," she said, "I didn't have anything else packed."

Agent Hotchner nodded curtly in response. "We'll see what we can do," he said, eyeing her outfit. "The rest of the team is inside; get one of them to update you."

"Damn," Morgan said to Hotch as she walked away, "The girl's gone country," he added laughing.

Hotch did his best to ignore the statement, unsure of how to react. He tried to be simply glad that she was back with the team and under his supervision now, and push all the thoughts that had been circling his mind of her with Dan out. But it was hard. He nodded back at Morgan, the detective and police chief, and then followed back into the station. Once in there he saw Allie pouring over the case files with Reid, her brow winkled in deep thought the same way Hotch had always remembered. She had only been gone about four days, but had missed her as if it had been way longer than that. He significantly sat himself on the opposite side of the table, catching some brief contact with her, but her expression was unreadable.

When Prentiss and Rossi returned from the morgue, Emily immediately opened her mouth. "Allie! Wow, look at you!"

Allie looked up, startled. "What do you mean?" she asked uncomfortably.

"You're all…. Tan, and… western?" She asked with a questioning tone, hoping she wasn't offending her.

Luckily, Allie laughed in response. "Well, thanks, I think? We spent a lot of time outside, hiking and stuff."

"Hmm," Emily said, sitting down and saddling up next to her. "So. How's Dan?" she asked suggestively, poking her.

"Ladies," Hotch interrupted harshly. "If it's not productive for the case, save it for later," he scolded. _Save it for never,_ he added in his head.

"Yes, sir," they replied in unison. Emily gave Allie a significant look, and Allie knew the interrogation wasn't over.

Commander Marks and Lietenant Evans entered the conference room. From there introductions were made. Marks then informed Hotch that they had found that two different guns had been used in the murders. His theory was some kind of gang war, which was what the entire Phoenix PD was ready to agree to.

The team, however, disagreed. "This is not the work of gang bangers," Hotch replied. "This case is classic serial pathology."

Reid took the opportunity to cut in, "In each case the killer takes the officer's badge after the murder. It's his trophy. Gang members wouldn't need such trophies, the kill itself is enough."

"Plus," Morgan continued, "In each case there was only one killer. If this were gang activity there would be more than one person present, for back up."

"So," Commander Marks said, still a little skeptical. "One shooter, but multiple weapons?" he asked, looking around at the team.

"We believe so," Hotch responded.

Allie was having a hard time taking this all in. In a matter of minutes her mind had to switch gears from vacation mode back to the gruesome world of catching killers. Thinking of her many uncles back home that were police officers, she felt sick just thinking about someone this tactical out there targeting officers. She could tell it had struck a chord with Morgan, too. One look at his face and she just knew. Watching him excuse himself and walk out of the conference room, Allie followed him into the small room that held the coffee maker.

"Hey," she said to call attention to herself, lurking in the doorway as he filled up his Styrofoam cup.

"Country girl," he responded, and Allie rolled her eyes. _Same old Derek_.

"So," she continued walking into the room closer to him. "This case is pretty bad."

Morgan nodded silently.

"Three of my uncles were cops," Allie said. "So this whole situation already makes me sick. You, you actually were one. So I'm just letting you know, if at any point this gets the best of you, if you want to talk, or just have someone to make fun of, I'm here."

Not getting a response back, Allie began to leave. Once she reached the door she heard him call out, "Hey, Al?" She looked back to show she was listening. "It's good to have you back," he said simply.

Allie nodded and gave a small smile before making her way back to the conference room, and the heart of the investigation.

* * *

Later that night, another killing. At least this time one of the cops, Officer Ron Mercer, survived, but he was left with the memory of watching his partner die. "There was nothing I could do," Allie overheard him say sadly to Morgan. The man was devastated, and the department's intensity and rage escalated. They wanted someone to blame, and they wanted him now.

The next day led to not only the arrest of the gang member "Playboy," but another killing as well. It ended up in a standoff with another officer killed and the supposed murderer dead. But the BAU knew better.

"Hotch!" Allie called up, running up to her superior once they had reached the scene of the incident. She felt the bulky weight of her gear and gun along the waist of her jeans. Allie had found the cowboy boats made for surprisingly lighter and quicker footing, however. "Daws says his partner was shot in the head, not the throat," she informed him.

"It doesn't fit the profile," he murmured to himself, lost in thought. He then approached Commander Marks to tell him that they had not found the man responsible for the past killings. But none of the cops in the department seemed to care about the profile. The team had to lead the rest of this investigation on their own.

It was a wild goose chase that led them from a bar to an underground fight club as they delved deeper into the UnSup's past. The resulting action was for Hotch to get behind a microphone and deliver a press conference alerting the public of the suspect's presence and profile. Once Garcia had pulled the information to find where he lived, the team along with a tactical team went to the address, most of them knowing full well they wouldn't find him there.

"I don't like this," Allie said sharply to Rossi as they sat in the back seat on the way to the UnSup's apartment. "We're putting a giant target on Hotch's head."

"It's the only way to draw him out," Rossi said quietly, trying to reason her down.

"It's stupid," Allie responded bluntly. "We're just putting him in more danger then he already puts himself in on a daily basis."

Rossi turned to look at her face. "You're worried," he stated gently.

"Of course I'm worried!" she spat back. "Aren't you?"

It was then that the van pulled up to the address and everyone began pouring out of their vehicles. "Allie," Rossi said commandingly to her as they exited. "Aaron will be okay, just keep your focus!"

She nodded in response. As they suspected, the place was empty. It was when they pulled back to the station that the real danger began. Hotch intentionally held back and walked slowly towards the entrance. Allie watched as the UnSup followed him slowly. Ignoring the situation so he wouldn't know he was being watched was one of the hardest things to do. Luckily, as he crossed the next car, Morgan was waiting for him. He beat him down to the ground, and just like that, the disgusting cop killer had been taken down.

Allie immediately ran over to Hotch. "You alright?" she asked.

He looked back with a surprised expression. "Why wouldn't I be?" he asked.

"Just… making sure," she muttered back, following everyone back into the station.

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Allie's attire for the plane ride home ended up being just as bizarre as her attire had been the entire case. She donned the same boots, and the last piece of clean clothing in her bag, a casual blue dress that she never even gotten to wear in Colorado. It was covered up with a jean jacket, making her look still undeniably western.

Settling herself down into a window seat, Allie was surprised when Hotch decided to sit directly across the table from her. They remained silent as the rest of the team made their way onto the plane, but once everyone was settled Hotch spoke. "I trust your time on vacation was enjoyable?" he asked very in a very practiced voice.

Allie nodded in response, and took the opportunity to try and reconnect with him. She pulled up a picture on her phone and handed it to him. "That's me in the San Juan Mountains," she explained. "It was so stunning up there. It helped me forget… for a while, about all this. It made me realize that the world really still is a beautiful place."

Hotch nodded and handed her phone back to her. "I'm glad," he said sincerely. "We all need to be reminded," he added, gazing out the window. A long silent ensued and then Hotch couldn't help but inquire, "Why were you so worried earlier? At the end of the case?"

"Oh," Allie replied. She thought and hesitated for a moment. "It was nothing," she continued, brushing it off.

"Allie," Hotch replied pointedly, not ready to let this one slide.

"Oh alright," she gave in. "I just didn't like how we put a giant bullseye on your head. Like we're not at enough risk as it is."

"It was – " Hotch began.

" – I know," Allie interrupted. "It was the only way to draw the UnSup out. I get it. But next time I'm the damn target. I swear one of these days I'm going to have a heart attack and you guys are just going to have to scrape me off the ground…"

"Al." Hotch said firmly. "Can I finish?"

She stopped her rant and blushed. "Of course," she said, embarrassed.

"What I began to say," Hotch continued, "Was that it was never going to come to what I think your worst fear was." Then he lowered his voice. "But," he added softly. "I am moved that you care so much about my well-being."

"Well of course I care about you," Allie responded bluntly. Hotch's eyebrows rose in surprise and his heart lifted. "I mean," she rationalized in a bit of a panic at this confession, "We're a team."

"Right," Hotch agreed, his heart sinking, realizing he was reading way too much into this conversation. "We're a team."

She gave him a faltered smile and wondered what the flush in her cheeks was all about. _So you admitted you care about him_, she thought to herself. _That's always been true_. But as Allie continued to glance his way every now and again, she found it harder to look away. Memories flooded her mind of their night hanging out in Vegas… his strong hold around her waist as he walked drunkenly home, how he smelled when he would lean in to give advice at the blackjack table… his hands running through her hair… suddenly Allie's body gave a violent shiver.

Hotch looked up at her, "cold?" he inquired.

_Yeah, that's it_, she thought to herself sarcastically, but merely shook her head to say no in response.

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**I love your love! Review!**


	6. Birthday Wish

**Thanks for reviews! And yes, it isn't UnSup, it's UnSub, silly me and my typos. I'll try and go back to fix my error later when I get the chance. This is my last chapter before a couple crazy weeks of starting an internship and going on a couple vacations, so expect less frequent updates. But I _will _keep writing. This is too addicting to stop.  
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Returning home from a case was always a relieving feeling. Everyone looked forward to their brief respite from the horrors of their work. When arriving back at the BAU headquarters from their journey to Southern California, they noticed a familiar blonde in the conference room. They all walked in to a happy surprise – JJ with baby Henry. It gave the entire team smiles and a moment of joy. Allie, however, kept to the back of the room, still feeling haunted by the results of their last case. A man that was so delusional from trauma that he killed his own family. Allie then pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and sighed as she saw the date. Tomorrow she would officially be one year older. Tomorrow was her birthday, and the thought did nothing but depress her further.

* * *

Allie walked into the office the next morning, latte in hand, and was surprised to see she was one of the first to arrive that morning. She only noticed Hotch, who was already in his office, door shut. As she approached her desk she discovered a modest bouquet of daisies sitting on her desk. A smile immediately made its way across her face and she dropped her stuff and picked up the flowers. It was a bright arrangement of many different colored daisies – shades of orange, pink, red and yellow. A white ribbon tied them together and a small glass vase already kept them watered. Allie pulled out a small cardstock note from the arrangement that had a "Happy Birthday," graphic printed on it. It was without a name, but Allie instantly knew she would be calling Dan later to thank him.

Sitting down to get some work done, Allie began feeling a little more lighthearted than she had the night before. Her birthday wasn't going to be quite as depressing as she thought it was going to. But as her coworkers began to arrive gradually, she started to feel a little put off that not a single one of them said anything to her. Nor did they notice the flowers. Digging into paperwork even more, Allie decided to just shrug it off as a result of the stress and hectic schedules they had all been putting up with. A little before lunchtime, Allie finally decided it was time to give her Colorado man a call.

"Hello?" he greeted, his smooth voice easing Allie's woes.

"Hey, there," she replied. "I hope I didn't call too early, with the time difference or anything."

"It's fine," Dan responded. "How are you?"

"Well," Allie continued, playfully swiveling around on her chair. "I'm just calling to thank you, for my beautiful daisies."

"Daisies?" He asked, dumbfounded.

Allie just laughed in response. "Don't play dumb. The daisies I found on my desk this morning. They're beautiful. I can't believe you found a florist to deliver so early in the morning…"

"Hun, I… didn't send you flowers." Dan said quietly.

"Oh," Allie said flatly. "Um, really?"

"Yeah," he replied, and then attempted to joke. "I mean, I can see how you might think I would be so romantic as to randomly send you flowers for no reason, but that wasn't me."

"For no reason," Allie repeated, her voice still sounding quite flat. Her heart was starting to sink at a rapid rate. "You're not trying to mess with me, are you?" she asked in desperation.

"Honey, what's going on? Are you okay?" Now Dan sounded concerned.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I just… should probably go and try and figure out who sent me flowers… for my birthday."

For the longest time, there was dead silence on the other end of the line. "Shit," Allie finally heard Dan curse. "I'm an idiot," he admitted.

Allie's heart was now drowning. But despite her disappointment, she was not angry. "It's okay," she said reassured.

"It's not!" Dan exclaimed.

"Well, really, we haven't been together that long. And it's not like you and I ever actually _told_ each other when our birthday's were. So how would you know?"

"I feel," Dan replied, "That somehow I was just supposed to know."

Through her discontentment, Allie managed a small laugh. "You're not superhuman. You're not… Garcia," she pointed out.

"Yeah." Dan sounded exceedingly depressed now, and Allie was desperate to console him.

"Listen, how about we pretend this conversation never happened? And later tonight, you can call me and tell me happy birthday and then we can discuss all the important dates in our lives so something like this never happens again. Deal?"

"Alright," he said, sounded somewhat convinced. "Deal."

They hung up, and Allie breathed a heavy sigh. It was midday, and so far the only person to wish her a happy birthday had hidden their identity. She lifted up the flowers to breathe in their scent, wondering who her mystery friend was.

* * *

A few hours after Allie's frustrating and disappointing conversation with Dan, she started to come to the realization that the bullpen had become extremely quiet. She looked around and didn't see a single person around. Right before she was going to get up to investigate, she saw a large crowd emerging through glass doors, with JJ carrying a cake coated in chocolate frosting and bursting with candles. Then the entire team began to sing what was possibly the worst and most out of tune version of "Happy Birthday" Allie had ever heard, but she loved it.

After finishing the song, JJ placed the cake on top of her desk right in front of her face. The entire team surrounded her. "Make a wish!" They all pestered obnoxiously. Allie looked around to take in the faces of her colleagues, her friends, as they anticipated her attempt to blow all those candles out. Her gaze reached Hotch. Their eyes locked for a moment, a slight smile forming on his face. Her gaze went from his face, to the daisies sitting on her desk, closed her eyes and blew.

After a couple huge gusts of breath, Allie had extinguished all but one candle. She blew on it over and over but it kept on relighting, and everyone could see she was getting frustrated. "What the hell?" she exclaimed.

The whole team burst into laughter until Morgan finally grabbed it from the cake. "Alright, alright," he said. "It's a trick candle," he told Allie.

"Of course!" she said, laughing. "And thank you all," she added earnestly. "This cake looks amazing."

"It's like, quadruple chocolate," Garcia said. "Just the way you like it," she added with a wink.

"You creep me out sometimes," Allie pointed out back to her.

Penelope just gave a proud shrug in response.

As they all began to cut up and devour the cake, Prentiss revealed the second half of their plan. "In celebration of our dear Allie's birthday," she announced, "there will be festivities at Roman's pub immediately following the workday. All are required to attend. And that includes you, Reid," she said, giving him a look.

"And our boss," Morgan added.

Everyone's attention turned to Agent Hotcher. "If I must," he said plainly.

* * *

The gang sat comfortably around a large table at Roman's pub. Each had a drink relaxed in their hand. So far everyone had shown up except for JJ and Hotch. Prentiss picked up her phone to check a text message as it rang. "JJ's on her way," she said to everyone. "They just put Henry down."

"Nothing from Hotch?" Reid asked.

Morgan shook his head. "He'll be here, though," he said. "Man sticks to his word."

"You just don't want to be the only one here that will refuse to dance," Emily pointed out to Reid.

"Maybe," Reid replied, shuffling uncomfortably in his seat.

"Don't worry, sugar. Enough of those," Garcia said, motioning to Reid's drink, "and you'll be dancing all night long."

Spencer just shook his head as the table roared with laughter.

Suddenly a terrible, old 80s song came blaring over the speakers. "Dear lord," Allie complained, covering her ears. Reaching for her purse, she informed everyone, "I'm going over to the jukebox to get some better music on." She shuffled her way through the crowd and finally made it to the corner with the jukebox. After a few moments there she felt a presence behind her. She turned around to see Hotch, uncharacteristically out of his suit and tie. He instead donned jeans and a slate grey long-sleeved shirt.

He sent her a crooked smile. "Hi," he greeted, walking up next to her to look at the jukebox selections as well. "Happy Birthday," he said.

A shy smile crept over her face. "Thanks," she said, turning back to the jukebox to analyze the titles.

"Having a good day?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied easily. "Delicious cake, good friends, colorful daisies," she said significantly.

"Good," Hotch replied simply. He continued to look with her as she flipped through songs. "Hey, stop it there," he said after a moment. He motioned to a particular track. "I think you'd like that one," he said.

"I know the song," Allie replied, looking up at him merrily. She then continued to insert coins. Suddenly the smooth and melodic chords of Van Morrison's "Steal My Heart Away," filled the bar. Allie's hips couldn't help but sway along with it, for this tune was one of her favorites.

Before she even had a chance to think about it, Hotch had gently taken her hand and led them into the heart of the crowd. Wrapping his hands around her waist, the two began to dance slowly, and closely. He smelled musty and yet sexy, in the same way Allie remembered. His hands felt strong, and her knees felt week. Allie leaned most of her body weight into him, unable to think or see straight. Hotch, meanwhile, kept his gaze steady on her face, whereas she was too nervous to make eye contact. He placed his lips gently on the top of her head and then dared to pull her in even closer.

Their bodies became relaxed up against each other's in a way that was comfortable and yet electrifying at the same time. It was a complete dichotomy. The moments passed so slowly, and yet before either of them had been able to have a clear thought, the song ended. Right before they pulled away, Hotch gained the coherency to say quietly in Allie's ear, "Gerbera daisies."

"What?" She questioned, pulling out of their embrace.

Hotch's eyes glimmered and his mouth curled up in a smirk. "The flowers, they're Gerbera daisies," he repeated. Giving her hand one last squeeze, he walked away and the back of his head was lost in the crowd of people. Allie remained standing in the center of the dance floor for the longest moment, lost in a trance.

Back at the table, her cell phone buzzed with calls from Dan, desperate to rectify his error. But the phone just continued to vibrate, for Allie had gotten more for her birthday than she was prepared to handle.


End file.
